The 2003 American invasion of Iraq was designed to establish a new democratic
foothold in the Middle East. In so doing, it sought not only to offer an
enlightening example to the oppressed peoples of the region and a warning to
the autocrats who rule them, but also to set the entire region on a course
toward liberalization and peaceful coexistence with the West. Yet, in the
nearly four years since the invasion began, and despite the Bush
administration s promotion of democracy in other Arab states, the region has
become significantly less stable from the point of view of Western interests,
and more hostile towards Western values.1